Fairgrounds, Coastal Commission reach parking, wetlands deal

DEL MAR  The California Coastal Commission approved a pair of permits Wednesday that will allow the Del Mar Fairgrounds to add a fall horse racing meet and continue to use some undeveloped lands near the San Dieguito River for parking and special events.

Under the terms of one permit, the fairgrounds must give up a 9.5-acre property it had used for overflow parking and restore it to wetlands.

The venue can continue to use a 4.5-acre overflow parking lot for the next 10 years, but during that time must conduct two parking studies to determine whether alternative parking solutions can be found.

Environmentalists and the San Dieguito River Joint Powers Authority want that land ulimately restored to its natural habitat.

The commission voted, 7-3, in favor of the permit.

Fair board vice president David Watson agreed to the deal on behalf of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, the agency that runs the state-owned fairgrounds.

“We are willing to undertake periodic traffic studies with in the next 10 years,” Watson said.

Commissioner Greg Cox, who is also a county supervisor, said the permit would put an end to a years-long dispute between the fairgrounds and the commission over .

“I think we need to get over it,” Cox said.

For years, the fairgrounds had used the land near the mouth of the river for overflow parking without the approval of the Coastal Commission, in violation of the California Coastal Act.

Some environmental groups and the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority had asked that the commission require the fairgrounds to give up both the 9.5 acre lot and the 4.5 acre lots, which would mean the loss of roughly 2,600 parking spaces.

The use of the 4.5-acre lot would be phased out over 10 years.

Fairgrounds officials said the loss of that much parking would “cripple” the venue.

Representatives of the California Highway Patrol and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department spoke during the commission’s meeting saying that losing 2,600 parking spaces could add problems to the fair’s already difficult traffic situation during the busy summer fair and horse racing season.

The summer fair attracts about 1.5 million people each year and an additional 700,000 people come to the summer horse race meet, fair officials said.

Overall, 3.5 million people visit the fairgrounds each year, officials said.

Supervisor Dave Roberts said a parking study conducted by the fairgrounds showed it could replace the parking spaces by using off-site parking and other measures.

Former Supervisor Pam Slater-Price also spoke in favor of restoring part of the east overflow parking lot to wetlands.

“This is a really important issue for us and many of us consider this (the wetlands) the Yosemite (National Park) of Southern California,” she said.

Fair officials said the parking study did not take into account losing the 4.5 acre lot and that some of the alternatives - such as using nearby high schools for parking - may not be available during peak demand days.

The second permit approved by the Coastal Commission allows the fairgrounds to host a fall horse racing meet starting next year in addition to its summer meet.

Del Mar was granted Nov. 5 through Dec. 7 in 2014 and Oct. 28 through Dec. 6 in 2015 under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in September.

The additional fall horse racing dates will became available after the Hollywood Park closes at the end of the year.